site.btaDemocratic Bulgaria Co-leaders Ivanov, Atanassov Resign after Election Disappointment

Sofia, November 15 (BTA) - The co-leader of the Democratic Bulgaria (DB) coalition, Hristo Ivanov, resigned Monday along with the entire leadership of his DB-affiliated Yes, Bulgaria! party after disappointing elections Sunday. In a Facebook post, he wrote that everybody in his party's Executive Council agreed that their election results were "extremely bad".

"The causes for that are many and diverse but one should bear responsibility," he wrote.

Yes, Bulgaria! is one of the partners in Democratic Bulgaria together with the Green Movement and Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB).

Later on Monday, DSB leader Atanas Atanassov announced in a facebook post that he takes personal responsibility for the coalition's poor performance at the polls and calls a national meeting to elect a new party chairman and national leadership.

He said he was honoured "to be part of the same team" with the other members of the Democratic Bulgaria leadership. "The other Democratic Bulgaria leaders and myself have a responsibility to protect the interests of the supporters of our coalition, which is the only one capable to stand up for our causes. It has to live on and grow," Atanassov wrote.

With 75.69 per cent of tally sheets processed Monday after the Sunday elections, Democratic Bulgaria gets 5.92 per cent which is less than half the 12.64 per cent it won in the snap general elections in July 2021.

The clear winner in the November 14 general elections was newcomer Continue the Change, which has a comfortable lead on the formerly ruling GERB party. In the presidential vote, which was held simultaneously, current President Rumen Radev leads by a lot on his key rival, GERB-backed independent Anastas Gerdjikov, but will have to go to runoffs because the voter turnout was too low for a clear victory. LN/